Nature, Culture, Geography, Travel & Adventure

Monthly Archives: September 2007

Ian Shive will be participating in the upcoming Los Angeles event EcoNouveau. The evening is hosted by The Architecture and Design Museum of Los Angeles, Green Business Networking, Tree Media Group and Dublab. Everyone is invited to celebrate the emergence of EcoNouveau LA’s definitive EcoLifestyle experience. Details are below.

EcoNouveau, a co-production spearheaded by Rob Ganger of Pollinator Media Group and Sarah Shewey of Pink Cloud Events, will feature the Spring/Summer í08 collection of the most innovative eco-fashion designers in a non-traditional runway show crafted for an audience of 1,500 international press, buyers and eco-conscious celebrities and influencers. The event premieres on October 13th at restored cathedral Vibiana in Downtown Los Angeles Alternative art and production company BOXeight is the official host of EcoNouveau.

EcoNouveau is a nod to the Art Nouveau movement–an international style of art, architecture and design that peaked in popularity at the beginning of the 20th century (1880-1914) and is characterised by highly-stylised, flowing, curvilinear designs often incorporating floral and other plant-inspired motifs.

EcoNouveau is inspired by the nature based, cross-disciplinary movement and sees many similarities to the burgeoning, contemporary ‘green’ focus on the planet. We have added a ‘psychedelegant’ twist to the mix and offer you our first event where we have curated the most cutting edge eco-fashion designers, visionary artists and musical genius of Dublab, LA’s finest musician/dj collective. We will also showcase businesses that are committed to environmental sustainability and social justice, and NGO partners who are doing exemplary work that warrants your attention.

The Venue: Vibiana
Vibiana is a beautifully restored landmark of Los Angeles history, dating back to 1876. This performing arts complex was purchased by downtown developer Tom Gilmore in 1999, who has taken great strides at returning the Cathedral back to its original beauty and grandeur. In August 2007, the 3,500 pound cupola, which was removed by the Archdiocese after the devastating Northridge earthquake, was returned to the top of the 83-foot-tall bell tower, marking a victorious occasion for preservationists and downtown Los Angeles. EcoNouveau will house a 77′ runway in the main hall, with music performances in the garden courtyard, and a private oasis filled with art in the rectory.

While at the annual Aurora photographers meeting on the idyllic Lake Sebago, some people were kind enough to let me spend five minutes photographing their restored 1920’s wood canoe which I thought was done spectacularly.

Photographed only a few days ago at the ruins of Pompeii in Italy, this image immediately struck me as a strong visual statement to our humanity and the cycle of life. To me, the beam of light represents all of our starting points – creation. The horrific expression of death forever frozen on this poor souls face is unforgettable. It’s a bizarre moment to witness a modern person walking by this glass case and locking gazes with a face frozen in vocanic ash nearly two thousand years ago.

Finally, a slight break in the weather gave me an opportunity to spend time at the Otter Cliffs area of Acadia National Park. Photographing in the deep shadows of the cove allowed for interesting lighting effects helping make a dramatic image out of a popular photography location.

Giving myself plenty of time to photograph Acadia National Park – one of America’s smallest parks – I arrived to find an onslaught of torrential downpours mixed with gloomy, white, overcast skies that never seemed to end. In other words, not so good for making photos. Despite it all, I made my best attempt to get a few photos and provide a little glimpse into the park.